Quick Entry

Yes, I'm still alive.  I'm going to try to keep this short.  It was a toss-up, I could jump on my stationary bike for 20 minutes, or do some planning.  Quick summary of random things:

* Parent /Teacher Conferences were last week here in NYC.  I stressed out about it, but in the end, everything worked out well.

* Veteran's Day, I went to the movie to see "Waiting for Superman".  It was interesting.  I also saw the owl movie Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole.

* This past Saturday, an epal had invited me to one of his men's group meeting.  Knowing what it's like to have a group with little or no interest, I said that I would attend.....
....IT WAS BRUTAL!!!!

The guys were really very nice.  I honestly hope the guy's group is a success, I thought it was a nice idea, and all of the guys were very nice.  Everyone there really seemed into the group, and more than a couple of times the guys seemed eager for information about the next group.  So if everything was so nice, what was the problem?  It was probably me.

I felt like a fish in a fishbowl without any water.  My epal told me the workshop would start at 11am.  I ended up arriving at 10:30am.  While waiting for the workshop to start, I over heard a conversation that the meeting would start at 12noon, but told the guys 11am because they knew some of the guys would be late.  The group starts about 12:30pm with a prayer.  And discussion about cortesy (from a religious) prespective.  The conversation was also geared towards talking about why guys aren't corteous and to share how each of us must have been in a situation where not being corteous almost caused a fight. 

At this point I knew I was in the wrong group (not including the conversation of failed states, and man controling  the weather).

Then for the next hour or so, various guys would stroll in.  One guy brought his teenage daughter.  I was a bit annoyed that I rushed to be on time, and most of the others, were just casual about arriving late.  Not a single person apologized for being late.

The main focus of the workshop was men's relationship with their fathers.  Again, the guys really seemed to be into this group.  As someone raised in foster care, I really didn't have anything to contribute to the discussion.  I sat through various "confessions" and "complaints" of father neglect and incompetance.  I was sooo bored.  Two hours waiting for the meeting to start, then another two hours of listening to others conversations and monologs.  At about 2:30pm, the group coordinator called for a break while we waited for lunch to arrive.  That was my cue, I thank my epal for inviting me.  I thanked the coordinator for organizing the group.  I then left.  I don't know what my $10 was spent on (in terms of lunch), nor did I care, I just wanted out of that place so bad. 

It wasn't a bad group, nor were the guys anything less than polite.  Unfortunately, I just didn't think the group was for me.  I do like the idea, but I really couldn't relate to the guys, the topic, or the attitudes(one guy kept referring to his wife as wifie).